Faculty

Rabbi Eli Menaged is the Director of The Israel Experience at Bar Ilan University. Originally from North Miami Beach, Rabbi Menaged attended Hillel High School and studied political science at the University of Florida. Rabbi Menaged learned at Midrash Sephardi in the Old City of Jerusalem, and received rabbinical ordination from Hacham Gidon Ben-Moshe. He also received an advanced rabbinic degree from Yeshivat Mikdash Melech in Brooklyn. Rabbi Menaged was Rabbi of Congregation Beth-El of Flatbush in the Syrian community of Brooklyn, before making aliyah with his family in 2011 to join Israel XP.
Email: RabbiMenaged@israelxp.com

Rabbi Ari Kahn is the Director of Foreign Student Programs at Bar-Ilan University in Israel, where he also is a senior lecturer in Jewish studies. Rabbi Kahn received his rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University, where he studied with Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik. He also holds a BA in psychology and an MS in Talmud.

Rabbi Kahn is a renowned speaker, and has lectured worldwide. Having authored hundreds of articles on the weekly parsha with a readership in excess of 10,000, Rabbi Kahn is also the author of “Explorations,” an in-depth analysis of the weekly Torah reading, “Emanations,” an in-depth analysis of the Jewish holidays, and “Echoes of Eden,” a projected 5-volume set of parsha analysis. Rabbi Kahn combines the mystical explorations of kabbala and chassidism with a highly-intellectual and broad-minded approach to Torah study, incorporating psychology, literature and Jewish history into his observations as well.
He has lived in Israel since 1984 with his wife Naomi and 5 children.
Email: Ari.Kahn@biu.ac.il

Meir Balofsky has been the Experiential Education Director of the Israel Experience at Bar Ilan University since the program’s inception. Meir has been actively involved in both formal and informal education with Jewish youth for nearly 14 years. He is originally from Toronto, where he was a classroom teacher, a youth/family programming director as well as a published author in Canadian Jewish History. Meir made aliyah with his family in 2004 and is currently in his 10th year working with the Overseas Program at Bar Ilan University.
Email: balofsky@israelxp.com

Rabbi Yitzie Klapper, originally from Queens, NY, is the Men’s Campus Director and Av Bayit. After studying for two years in Yeshivat Shaalvim, he received his BS in Business Management from Yeshiva University. Rabbi Klapper then went on to earn a Master’s degree from the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration of Yeshiva University, as well as semicha from YU/RIETS. Rabbi Klapper has previously served as the Director of Student Activities at HAFTR. In addition, he is very active in the summer camp scene having worked in many different capacities. Rabbi Klapper is extremely passionate about both formal and informal Jewish education. He brings an excitement and enthusiasm, which will make the students experience at the Israel XP BIU truly unforgettable. Together, with his wife Tova, and their two sons Ezra and Avi, the Klappers made aliyah to join the BIU XP family!
Email: ravklapper@israelxp.com

Mrs. Natalie Menaged is the Director of Recruitment & Admissions for The Israel Experience. Natalie was formerly the National Director at Hasbara Fellowships, a branch of Aish HaTorah dedicated to educating, training and inspiring students to stand up for Israel on university campuses. Natalie was the founder and president of Gators for Israel at the University of Florida, where she studied political science and religion. Natalie also studied at Shearim seminary in Jerusalem for two years. Most importantly, Natalie is mother to four energetic children who love Israel XP students!
Email: nmenaged@israelxp.com

Mrs. Alyta Pitaru, Director of Administration, was born in Petach Tikva Israel, raised in an English speaking household by parents who emigrated from England. She did her national service as a Coordinator of a Bnei Akiva branch in Moshav Netzer Hazahi in Gush Katif. She attended Bar Ilan University earning a BA in Land of Israel Studies and Jewish History. Alyta has been the director of administration for overseas students at Bar Ilan university since 1997.
Email: Alyta.Pitaru@mail.biu.ac.il

Mrs. Orli Sasson is the Women’s Campus Director and Em Bayit. Orli was born and raised in Miami, and is a graduate of the University of Florida. She graduated with a degree in English Literature and Speech Communication, but spent most of her free moments planning Israel and Jewish events on campus or attending any Israel trip she could hop on! Orli spent time learning at Shearim College of Jewish Studies for Women and then moved back to Hollywood, Florida where she worked as an educator and private tutor for children of various ages. She loves hosting Shabbats, teaching and learning with others, including previous XP students! Orli is passionate, enthusiastic, and energetic and can’t wait to create and share a warm home away from home for the incoming students. She made aliyah with her husband and four (fun and adorable) kids for the ultimate experience and is looking forward to aninspiring year at Israel XP!
Email: orli@israelxp.com

Rabbi Adam Siegel, Israel XP Chief Financial Officer, has extensive and diverse experience in the fields of Jewish education and finance. After teaching Torah for several years in Binghamton, NY and Charleston, SC, Rabbi Siegel served as the executive director of Yeshiva Elementary School in Miami Beach, during which time the school experienced tremendous growth and success. He then became the founding director of Ben Gamla Charter School – the first Hebrew-English charter school in the USA, which now has over 2,000 students. During the same time, Rabbi Siegel won awards from multiple insurance companies and brokerages for his work as an insurance and financial consultant. In addition to serving as the CFO of our program, he runs a very successful mortgage brokerage in Jerusalem and teaches several courses at Bar Ilan University. He lives with his wife and five children in Ramat Beit Shemesh.
Email: asiegel@israelxp.com

Dr. Chana G. Tannenbaum is Academic Coordinator and a senior lecturer at Bar Ilan University. Dr. Tannenbaum has an Ed.D in Education, an M.A.. In Ancient Jewish History and a B.A. In Judaic Studies. In 1993, she received the Baumel Award, a prize bestowed upon the most outstanding faculty member at Yeshiva University. Since making making Aliyah in 1997 with her family, Dr. Tannenbaum has taught in many one year programs, served as the founding Dean of Shaalvim for Women, and lectured to adult women all over the country. She has been with this program for over fifteen years.
Email: drctann@gmail.com

Miriam Yablon is the Informal Education Assistant at the Bar Ilan University Israel Experience. Since attending the program herself as a student in 2012 (where she met her husband, Ben), Miriam spent a year studying in the Hadas program at Midreshet Lindenbaum, served two years as an NCO of International Affairs in the Israeli Air Force where she received the Award of Presidential Excellence, and is currently working towards a BA in English Literature and Linguistics at Bar Ilan University while learning simultaneously at the Bar Ilan Midrasha. Ever since making aliyah in 2013 Miriam has remained connected to IsraelXP and been involved as much as possible, spreading her passion for Jewish learning, unity and the Land of Israel.
Email: miriamclayman@gmail.com

Academic Faculty

Dr. Gabriel Danzig Earned his BA in Classics from University of Chicago, his MA in Ancient Greek from Bryn Mawr College, his MA in Social Thought from University of Chicago and his PhD in Jewish Thought from Hebrew University. An author of several books and articles, Dr. Danzig will bring history to life in the classroom. Even students who are afraid of Classics may find a new level of comfort in his class. And for those who embrace them, this may be a dream come true.

Dr. Adam S. Ferziger Earned his B.A. in Political Science/Jewish History and his M.A. in Modern Jewish History from Yeshiva University, his Ph.D. in Modern Jewish History from Bar Ilan University and his Rabbinical Ordination from Yeshiva University. He is the recipient of numerous prizes, fellowships and grants. A chairman of International Academic Conferences and lecturer at several scientific academic conferences, Rabbi Ferziger has published dozens of publications.

Dr. Daniel Kahn Earned his B.A. and M.A. in Psychology along with his Psy.D. from Yeshiva University. In addition to his extensive experience in the field of Psychology, he has helped the Jewish people in a variety of ways from Camp HASC to his work with Ethiopians, his students will learn to see the good in everyone and to see the good in themselves.

Rabbi Yosef Chaim (Thomas) Meyer Earned his B.A. in English Literature and Anthropology from University of Michigan and an M.A. in English Literature from University of Chicago. He has earned Rabbinical ordinations from three different sources including Rabbi Avraham Kopshitz, Rabbi Noah Weinberg and Rabbi Yitzchak Kolitz, Chief Rabbi and Head of the Religious Courts in Jerusalem. Married with eight children, Rabbi Meyer published “Power of the Soul,” and is a former Journalist with the Detroit News.

Dr. Frances Shalit Earned her B.A. from Columbia University, her M.Sc. in Life Sciences from the Weizmann Institute of Science and her Ph.D. in Neuroimmunology, from Bar-Ilan University. Her expertise ranges from genetics, Biology, Immunology and Human Physiology to technology and business development.

Dr. J. Beck

Dr. Yoel Finkelman is a lecturer in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Contemporary Jewry at Bar-Ilan, and teaches Talmud and Jewish thought at Midreshet Lindenbaum. is author of Strictly Kosher Reading: Popular Literature and the Condition of Contemporary Orthodoxy.

Dr. S. Gottlieb

Professor Joel (Yaakov) Guttman received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees in economics from the University of Chicago. After receiving his doctorate he taught at UCLA and at the Hebrew University. He has been teaching at Bar-Ilan since 1982. His research is in applied microeconomic theory and game theory, focusing on applications of economics to sociology and political science. He has published 35 scientific papers and has been a visiting professor at the University of Chicago, Brown University and the University of Southern California, as well as an Olin Faculty Research Fellow at the Yale Law School.